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FRAMINGHAM, Mass. – April 9, 2009 – Despite an economic slowdown that's wreaking havoc on most IT markets, the ramp up of large-scale virtual server implementations around the world will drive tremendous demand for a newly defined competitive market – virtual server management software – for distributed systems (principally Windows, Unix, and Linux platforms). According to new research from IDC, the worldwide distributed virtual server management software market had revenues of $871 million in 2008 and will approach $2.3 billion in 2013; a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.3% over the forecast period.

In the near term, the distributed virtual server management software market will be dominated by products related to change and configuration management, including discovery, configuration, provisioning, software distribution, and change control. "While change and configuration management will rule in the short term, performance management and event automation management capabilities will eventually take hold," said Mary Johnston Turner, research director, System Management Software. By 2012–2013, distributed virtual server management capabilities will begin to blend into core systems management architectures and will no longer be viewed as a standalone competitive market, having become part of the fabric of dynamic datacenters.

* Over the next five years, the distributed virtual server management software market will evolve and mature, creating significant opportunities for new competitors.

* A strong spirit of "coopetition" will permeate this market over the next several years.

This study, Worldwide Distributed Virtual Server Management Software 2009-2013 Forecast: A First Look (IDC #217485), presents IDC’s preliminary top-down sizing of the worldwide distributed virtual server management software market in 2008 and a forecast of worldwide growth in this market for 2009-2013. This analysis is IDC’s first sizing and forecast for this emerging competitive market. Only top-line total market data is shown in this study. The study specifically excludes software related to mainframe, storage, network, or desktop virtualization management. Vendor market share data, as well as data for geographic regions, will be provided in subsequent IDC publications.

For more information, or to purchase this study, please contact IDC Sales at 508-988-7988 or sales@idc.com.

About IDC

IDC is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. IDC helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community make fact-based decisions on technology purchases and business strategy. More than 1,000 IDC analysts provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. For more than 45 years, IDC has provided strategic insights to help our clients achieve their key business objectives. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research, and events company. You can learn more about IDC by visiting www.idc.com.